Summary (from Goodreads): They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Looking for a story that will rip your heart out and make you contemplate the way you live your life? Me Before You by Jojo Moyes will do just that to you. While the book has so much more to offer the reader, the film is a very well executed version of the novel. Most of the events and details from the book are included and are seamlessly translated to the screen. Readers will not be disappointed and those who have yet to read the book are never left in the dark, making this one of the best book to movie adaptations that I have seen in quite some time.

Jojo Moyes’s Me Before You is a contemporary novel that really digs deep into the topics of family, love and living life to the fullest. Through its quirky and intoxicating main character, Louisa, the reader discovers just how important living a rich life is. Her employment as a caregiver for a quadriplegic man, Will, who has been stripped of a life that he loved teaches her that she must live life as fully as she can. Louisa realizes and grows so much as a woman through her interactions with Will, while Will finds peace from guiding Louisa and getting to know her. It is the perfect romantic contemporary for those who enjoy reading the genre and copious amounts of tissues will be required while reading.

Not having been aware that Jojo Moyes actually wrote the screenplay as well had me a little bit nervous as to what to expect from this film. I was so delighted and surprised to discover that Jojo also wrote the script for the movie because it certainly stayed true to the novel. Obviously, the entire book can’t be translated into a two hour film and some elements of the story were not included. There are some characters that are not present and some who are less developed for the screen. Also, there is even a scene at the castle that is new to the plot and really adds depth to Will’s character, although it leaves out an important moment of Louisa’s self discovery. All in all, I was really thrilled to see this story come to life and definitely enjoyed seeing some of the setting and the casting that was so on point.

As always in this feature, I try to dissect both the book and the movie and then decide if the book was translated to the screen effectively. I really do believe that this book to movie adaptation was well done and will be embraced whole heartedly by fans of the novel and those who just love a good tear jerking film. The plot gives readers and movie goers so much to digest and will have you gross sobbing either way.

20 thoughts on “Book to Movie Review: Me Before You”

I haven’t read Me Before You yet, and I’m planning on watching the movie first before I read the book (*GASP* I know! But I don’t really mind if I read the book first before I watch to movie or vice-versa). I think the thing I’m looking forwar dhere the most is the swoon-worthy romance and just simply the possibility ofme bawling my eyes out when I finish it. xD

I’m happy to hear the movie doesn’t stray to far from the book! Most book-to-movie adaptations have been changing a lot of things from the books so it’s nice to know MBY wasn’t one of them. 🙂 Great review!

This is definitely one movie where it isn’t necessary to read the book first. I do, however, totally recommend reading it because there is so much more in the book that you will enjoy. I hope that you love it as much as I do! 🙂 🐝

I’m an emotional mess from the book right now and seeing the movie later. My friend thought it would be a good idea for me to read the book all before I saw the movie, except I got it yesterday at like 3 pm. I finished at 12:30 am. Now I have to go see the movie. This post made me feel a bit vetter about the movie.

I was also thrilled to see this book turned into a movie and the tears in my eyes after watching is an indicator that the production people of Me Before You did a really good job in adapting the movie from the book.